Resource Spotlight: Hand Lettering Practice Worksheets For Small & Large Brush Pens
Hello! Here are today’s lettering and art resources. Click on the images below to learn more about that resource. (If you make a purchase through these links, I get a small commission.)
Hand Lettering Practice Worksheets For Small & Large Brush Pens
250+ Words for Planner and Journal: Octopus Lettering Practice Worksheets
Supplies
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Romance Ebook Deal Round-Up: August 7, 2025
Long-time, no ebook deal update. I’ve rounded up a bunch of romance books that are on sale right now that you should check out. Click on the picture of the book cover to check the current price on Amazon. Prices fluctuate, so keep in mind that it might not be on sale for long. (If you make a purchase through these links, I get a small commission.)
Historical Romance
Contemporary Romance
Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!
Useful Resources:
Read more about getting the most out of your library card
Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!
Learn more about Kindle Unlimited
Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited
Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive
Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy
Support this page with a donation
Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
Weekly Reads: July 28 to Aug 3, 2025
Bad Luck Bride by Laura Lee Guhrke (2025)
Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Scandal at the Savoy series. Loved it. Definitely recommend. We’ve got a second chance romance here between Kay and Devlin and they’re both engaged to other people. Things ended poorly between them with an elopement gone awry fourteen years ago and Kay has been trying to recover her reputation ever since. Meanwhile Devlin is all sorts of cynical and doesn’t believe in love. But of course all the sparks fly when they see each other again after all these years. I don’t know how a second chance romance can be such a slow-burn, but it was absolutely delightful.
Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Final print book provided by Forever Books.
Gabriela and His Grace by Liana De la Rosa (2025)
Historical romance. Victorian-era England and Mexico. Book 3 of the Luna Sisters series. I can’t believe this is the last book of the series and we need to leave the Luna sisters behind. I am super glad that Gabby finally meets her match in Sebastian, the duke who we knew would be trouble for her on their very first meeting. Gabby’s on her way to Mexico, fleeing a bad situation in England, and Sebastian is on the ship right along with her. Even though they start the journey as somewhat enemies, she definitely softens towards him when she realizes that he isn’t exactly the rake he seemed to be in the past. And of course, Sebastian is just trying to keep his sanity around him since it’s clear he’s totally besotted by Gabby. Loved seeing the flirtatious banter between them and the undeniable attraction here that they’re trying so hard to fight. Loved seeing it all wrap up and all our Luna sisters so happily wed.
Advance ebook provided by Berkley via NetGalley. Advance print book provided by Penguin Random House Audio.
Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!
Useful Resources:
Read more about getting the most out of your library card
Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!
Learn more about Kindle Unlimited
Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited
Read an introduction to fanfiction
Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction
Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive
Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy
Support this page with a donation
Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
Crochet Pattern Roundup: Block Stitch Blanket
Quick round up of crochet patterns! Click on the photo below to go to the Etsy page of the pattern. Affiliate links used, so if you make a purchase, I get a small commission.
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Resource Spotlight: Handwriting & Brush Lettering Practice Worksheets
Here are today’s lettering and art resources. Click on the images below to learn more about that resource. (If you make a purchase through these links, I get a small commission.)
Handwriting & Brush Lettering Practice Worksheets
Click here to grab these worksheets.
250+ Words for Planner and Journal
Click here to grab these worksheets.
Supplies
Are you an artist with your own resource that you’d like me to share? Click here to tell me all about it.
Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive
Support this page with a donation
Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Monthly Income Report: July 2025
Here’s the July 2025 breakdown of all the pennies I’ve collected from the internet. I’ve organized the income sources into bigger categories and then provided details from each source.
Affiliate Commissions: $1653.45
TikTok Shop Affiliate: $1043.32
I have been creating TikTok Shop Affiliate videos since Sept 2024 and seeing steady sales. The process involves quick reviews or demonstrations of products that are sold within TikTok shop and linking them within the TikTok video. Results vary wildly depending on the product, the day, the month, the season, and the algorithm. (link to my TikTok account)
- Read more about how I made over $19k in commission in the first year of doing TikTok Shop Affiliate.
Etsy Affiliate: $595.65
The primary place where I promote Etsy affiliate links is through Pinterest. I’ve had a Pinterest account since forever, so my account is already full of craft tutorial links. I post my affiliate links to crochet and quilt patterns, and these have generated the most sales for me. (link to my Pinterest account)
Amazon Affiliate: $11.88
I’ve been an Amazon affiliate since the early days of my blog and have always recommended various supplies for art and lettering. This month, I decided to start working on getting approved for on-site commissions, where product review videos get added directly to the product page by Amazon. If someone watches the video on the product page and makes a purchase, then I get the affiliate commission. Light start here, since I got approved for this sub-program late in the month. (link to my Amazon Storefront)
Benable: $2.60
New to me in July. Benable a website that has its own audience and search functionality where you can link to various products and websites in collections. The affiliate income is baked into the platform when someone clicks on your featured product and makes a purchase. Probably the lowest friction income source since you don’t need an existing audience. (link to sign up for Benable)
Other Affiliate Programs: $0
Nothing here this month.
Products: $17.50
Paper Goods Etsy Shop: $9.59
I sell bookmarks here mostly, with the occasional digital download. (link to Etsy shop)
Fiber Goods Etsy Shop: $6.10
Once upon a time, I thought I was going to make scarves and blankets while my baby napped and I could sell them online. And that kind of worked, but not profitably. Listings expired, and then I switched to smaller objects like coasters and cozies, and now I’m mostly selling digital crochet patterns. (link to Etsy shop)
Used Books: $0
I list used books for sale using the PangoBooks app. Sales are very sporadic and sometimes I get into phases where I’m not really listing much. This must have been a slow month for new listings. (link to my PangoBooks shop)
Digital Downloads: $0
Too many shops, not enough marketing. (link to crochet pattern shop, link to printables shop)
Print on Demand: $1.81
Once upon a time, I uploaded a ton of designs onto RedBubble. I do not nurture this revenue stream at all right now, and any sales are just a bonus surprise. (link to Redbubble shop)
Content Monetization: $7.52
Google AdSense: $6.55
Clearly, this is not a very lucrative income source, since the minimum payout to transfer to a bank account is $100. However, coins are coins, so I’m leaving the ads turned on at my blog. Is it enough to off-set the cost of the website hosting and domain registration? Probably not. But it hosts content that hopefully leads to other affiliate sales. (link to blog)
Instagram Bonus for Posts: $0.97
I have no idea how this was activated or why. I was previously enrolled in an Instagram Reels bonus program, but that has since been discontinued. At the time of this income report, I wasn’t paying much attention to creating content here, maybe posting one or two book reviews per day, which usually received less than 200 views and maybe earned $0.02 per post. (link to my Instagram)
Recurring Expenses
No income report is complete without factoring in expenses. I tend to pay annual subscriptions rates for things, so this will just be a recurring list of resources that I use.
Flodesk for email marketing $209/year (affiliate link for Flodesk)
USPS PO Box $210/year
Canva Pro $120/year
Bluehost for blog hosting and domain registration $350/year (check out the blog here)
Resource Spotlight: Handwriting and Brush Lettering Planner Practice Worksheets
250+ Words for Planner and Journal: Mammoth Lettering Practice Worksheets
This planner-focused lettering workbook is your next step. With over 250 common journal and bujo words, it helps you polish your very neat, clean, and beautiful “Mammoth” style handwriting and elevate every page. Don’t just plan your days—create something you want to return to. Beautiful. Personal. Purposeful.
This 78-page workbook is suitable for both regular pens and brush pens.
What’s included: (All in the Mammoth style)
+ 5 Pages for Small Tip Pen
+ 10 Pages for Medium Tip Pen
+ 16 Pages for Large Tip Pen/Marker
+ 11 Pages for Small Brush Pen
+ 36 Pages for Large Brush Pen
+++ Extra Blank Practice Sheets
Print Style Basic Worksheets
Are you an artist with your own resource that you’d like me to share? Click here to tell me all about it.
Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive
Support this page with a donation
Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Weekly Reads: July 21 to 27, 2025
Part of Your World: A Twisted Tale by Liz Braswell (2025)
Young Adult Fantasy. Ooh, I love a good twist to a story we already know well. This one is published in conjunction with Disney, so it takes a totally licensed spin on The Little Mermaid. It plays what if Ariel did not win at the end and Eric ends up married to Vanessa/Ursula. We start here five years after that and Eric’s seaside village is in all sorts of mess due to Vanessa’s scheming and political maneuvers. Plus Eric has been under a foggy-brained spell for all these years. Somehow, word gets back to Queen Ariel that her father may still be alive (in a jar in Vanessa’s room), so she stages a rescue mission. Loads of action and adventure here, with a lot of different points of view. This was a really fun book to read, especially if you loved The Little Mermaid.
Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks (2023)
Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the Love in Galway series. Lark’s new in town and accidentally moves next door to a funeral home. She meets the very shy and introverted Callum and fairly quickly develops a friendship. We get to see a really great slow-burn romance develop here as these two friends eventually give into their attraction. They each have their own background issues and hang-ups, and I loved seeing them open up and share with each other.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!
Useful Resources:
Read more about getting the most out of your library card
Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!
Learn more about Kindle Unlimited
Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited
Read an introduction to fanfiction
Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction
Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive
Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy
Support this page with a donation
Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
Crochet Pattern Roundup: Mason Jar Cozy and Template
Quick round up of crochet patterns! Click on the photo below to go to the Etsy page of the pattern. Affiliate links used, so if you make a purchase, I get a small commission.
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School for Heiresses Historical Romance Book Series by Sabrina Jeffries
Never Seduce a Scoundrel by Sabrina Jeffries (2006)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the School for Heiresses series. Lady Amelia is a daughter of an earl who is dodging fortune hunters and longing for adventure. She runs into a bit of trouble when she’s nearly caught snooping in the American Navy Major’s personal correspondence, but she’s wary of her stepmother being the target of his secret investigation. She plans to find out more in order to protect her stepmother, and she plays the simpering miss to do so. Lucas has a bunch of hang ups against the English and he’s annoyed to have to be in England to deal with this fraud and embezzlement case, but he realizes that he can use a courtship with Amelia to find out more about his suspect. They’re both toying with each other for information, but there’s definitely a real simmering attraction here. We get into way more dramatics halfway through the book when we need to deal with a kidnapping and road trip. It was interesting to see how two people who are totally dishonest with each other end up falling in love.
Ebook and audiobook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.
Only a Duke Will Do by Sabrina Jeffries (2006)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the School for Heiresses series. This one will make a little more sense if you’ve also read To Pleasure a Prince, because Simon and Louisa feature quite a bit with that book. Basically, in the previous book, Simon was courting Louisa at the King’s request in exchange for political favors; she figures out the deception and uses her influence as the King’s natural daughter to have Simon sent to India. We start this book seven years later, Simon has returned, and the King is still playing tricks with him. Simon renews his attentions on Louisa, but she’s more wary now. Plus, she has the added fear of childbirth because her half-sister Princess Charlotte died during the process. It’s mostly a redemption story for Simon here, since Louisa is already pretty awesome. Loved seeing him soften for real and learn to stand on his own morals, rather than the political jockeying that he’s accustomed to.
Ebook and audiobook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.
Ten Reasons to Stay by Sabrina Jeffries (2013)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2.5 of the School for Heiresses series. Quick little novella. Eliza is running away from her uncle guardian who means to marry her off to his friend. She tries to borrow a horse from the new earl’s stable, not realizing he’s in residence. Colin is newly arrived to his estate from India and distrustful of almost everything. There’s a lot of verbal sparring between Eliza and Colin as he tries to high-handedly protect her, but also scare her about the dangers of men. It’s an insta-lust, steamy novella here, with a neat and tidy happily ever after.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
Beware a Scot’s Revenge by Sabrina Jeffries (2007)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the School for Heiresses series. Lady Venetia is visiting Scotland with her aunt, after having been living in London for many years, and promptly gets kidnapped by her childhood neighbor Lachlan. He’s got a rivalry with her father over some unpaid debts and is trying to use Venetia for ransom. But it’s way more complicated than that because Lachlan and Venetia keep switching between yelling at each other and lusting at each other. This is one of those stories where Lachlan is the one who needs to get over himself and his need for vengeance if he wants to have a true relationship with Venetia.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
Let Sleeping Rogues Lie by Sabrina Jeffries (2008)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the School for Heiresses series. Anthony is a wicked gentleman who has just inherited a viscount title and wants to gain custody of his niece away from his cruel aunt and uncle. He tries to get the niece enrolled at a reputable girls’ school, but his terrible reputation and looming custody battle make all the schools wary of taking her on. Madeline is a teacher at Mrs. Harris’ school and somehow manages to negotiate a deal for Anthony, where he cleans up his act and gives rake lessons to the girls at the school so they know what to avoid. She has her own ulterior motives because she needs to meet one of Anthony’s scientist friends to help her own father’s dire situation. It’s all a muddle with lies and secret keeping (mostly on Madeline’s part) and of course Anthony is trying his best to seduce Madeline in the meantime. This book had the perfect blend of external conflict with the slow burn romance between our main characters. Loved seeing Anthony start to sober up and take care of his responsibilities.
Ebook and audiobook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.
When Sparks Fly by Sabrina Jeffries (2014)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4.5 of the School for Heiresses series. Quick little Christmas novella. Wealthy heiress Ellie is traveling with her aunt and young cousins home for Christmas when her aunt is in a carriage accident and injures her ankle. They whole crew need to stay with the nearby grumpy baron, Martin, who has a terrible reputation after the death of his brother. He’s a total grump, feels guilty over his brother’s death, and would rather be experimenting with explosives to help the miners who work on his land. But he’s totally drawn to Ellie, despite his original misconceptions about her. It’s a quick burn romance here for these two and very fun to read.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
Don’t Bargain with the Devil by Sabrina Jeffries (2009)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the School for Heiresses series. Heartbroken Lucy is back at her favorite girls school for a stint as the temporary art teacher while her father and stepmother go to Scotland. Her childhood friend and love basically told her that she was too outspoken and hoydenish for marriage, so she’s all sorts of insecure about herself. Meanwhile, a mysterious new tenant has moved in next door. The magician Diego is looking for the long-lost granddaughter of a Spanish marquess, and he thinks that Lucy might be the one he’s searching for. It’s mystery and intrigue and attraction all rolled into one very entertaining book. I loved learning all of Lucy’s family secrets and finding out how Diego fits into her future.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Audiobook accessed via Everand.
Wed Him Before You Bed Him by Sabrina Jeffries (2009)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the School for Heiresses series. The headmistress of the illustrious girls school gets her romance here in the conclusion of the series. Charlotte is plagued with scandal right now with a whole bunch of her former pupils having run off and eloped and the latest scandal with a suicide. And it gets even messier when we find out that the widowed viscount, David, is actually an old acquaintance of Charlotte’s. Eighteen years prior, Charlotte and David were arranged to marry by their fathers, but it ended up in heartbreak and public humiliation. And then one day, David seeks his revenge by adopted the persona of Cousin Michael to offer a low-rent building for Charlotte to build a school, intending to raise the rents and leave her hanging after she’s comfortable. But it turns into a decade-long letter-writing friendship, and then turns into an even bigger mess when the true owner of the property is looking to evict Charlotte soon. David wants to keep his secrets, so sets himself up for more drama by faking an inheritance from his wife that was donated to the school. We get a pretty quick second chance romance here, with Charlotte being hesitant to trust, and David being a high-handed male. I enjoyed reading all the drama unfold though and learn more about Charlotte and David’s past relationship. Excellent conclusion to the series and introduction to some side characters that will feature in more of Jeffries’ books.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!
Useful Resources:
Read more about getting the most out of your library card
Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!
Learn more about Kindle Unlimited
Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited
Read an introduction to fanfiction
Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction
Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive
Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy
Support this page with a donation
Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
